I’m sitting in a hotel room in Atlanta right now, fresh off a full day of educational sessions at the Healthy Trucking Association of America’s Health Trucking Summit. It’s been a long day, so forgive me if my thoughts are a little, well, all over the place. But I did want to share a few personal reflections from the day.

The most frequently recurring thought today has been the impression that there really are people who care about the truckers out there on the roads. Sure, there is a push for better safety on the roads, and that often takes the forefront. But I’ve met fleet HR personnel and recruiters here who are excited to take back ideas they’ve heard and share them with their drivers. I have heard speakers who took great pleasure in sharing the ways they had seen drivers benefit from wellness programs. Bob Perry, president of Roadside Medical, is one person who immediately comes to mind. He shared at least two stories of drivers whose lives were basically changed because they were able to lose weight using one of his programs. Sometimes these people who truly care about the drivers get overshadowed, but they are definitely out there.

I guess the other thing that has really impressed me is that health is a big deal and not just for drivers. The number of Americans who are obese or who have high blood pressure is somewhat overwhelming. One of today’s speakers, Chelle Pfiffner, put it best when she said we have to “lead by example.” I definitely feel like I will leave this summit with greater motivation to get my own health in order. I’d much rather be part of the solution than part of the problem.

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The past few times I’ve been to the doctor’s office my blood pressure has been higher than it should be — not good given that I’m only in my late 20s and have a family history of high blood pressure. I’ve always struggled with weight, but I’ve never really struggled with health until now. It’s hard for me to ignore the fact that my higher-than-normal blood pressure is likely directly related to my weight — I am considered clinically obese at my height.

The weight issue has always seemed an insurmountable goal to me, but add a health concern on top of that, and it’s even more daunting. I spoke recently with Dr. Alan Gass, medical director of heart transplantation and mechanical circulatory support at Westchester Medical Center in New York, and he offered some sound advice for people in a situation like mine: Simply start with achievable goals. “If you can basically subtract some not good foods and filter in some exercise, starting out with about three times a week, that will make a really big change in someone’s health,” he says.

High blood pressure and other heart-related problems are extremely prevalent in the United States, with cardiovascular disease accounting for about one in every three deaths, according to the American Heart Association. More than 74 million Americans have high blood pressure. And these problems are thought to be closely connected with other diseases and disorders, like diabetes and sleep apnea. Altogether, it’s a laundry list of problems that can cause you to lose your CDL.

February is American Heart Month, as designated by the American Heart Association, and we want to encourage you to consider your heart health during this month. You’ve probably had your blood pressure and cholesterol checked in the past year; if those numbers are bad, try to come up with one or two changes you will make this month that could make a difference in those.

I plan to cut down on sugary and caffeinated drinks, while drinking more water. It may seem like a small step, but the small steps are what add up to life-changing and life-saving differences.

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My husband and I both are trying to get in better shape and lose some weight, and we’re both fortunate to have a gym membership. But there are just those days when hitting the gym is just not on the radar for me.

A few nights ago, I was feeling down about some interpersonal goings-on in my life, tired from work and generally in a bad mood. Bobby, who has been on a huge health and fitness kick of late (blame it on the new year, I guess), decided this meant I needed a workout. I resisted, but he knows me too well. Every trick in the book, from whining about going by himself to reminding me how I want to lose weight to telling me I was wasting money on the membership by not going. Sounds mean, but it did the trick.

The funny thing was, once I had just sucked it up and went to the gym, it wasn’t so bad. I plugged up my iPhone and went to town on the elliptical and treadmill, and I forgot about a lot of the junk that had been on my mind. And afterwards, I was tired but felt better.

According to Mayo Clinic, “physical activity stimulates various brain chemicals that may leave you feeling happier and more relaxed than you were before you worked out.” I’ve definitely felt the effects of that. When I went the other night, I was really down in the dumps before working out; working out didn’t solve my problems, but it brought a surprising amount of relief to me physically and emotionally. So getting off my butt and to the gym was a good choice.

Have any of you experienced something similar in choosing to exercise?

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I don’t remember where, but I read recently the idea to forego New Year’s Resolutions in favor of making the decree that “This is my year to (fill in the blank).”

As someone who’s never been great with the whole resolution thing, I’m willing to give this a shot (though admittedly my husband and I have made some “official” resolutions). But for me, the pull of “This is my year” is that it seems to offer the chance to finally do some of those things I have really wanted to do but haven’t gotten around to, for whatever reason. Maybe I’ll take that trip to Hawaii that’s been on my mind for the past few years. Perhaps I’ll finally pick up a new hobby. The possibilities are pretty much endless.

It also is a little more subjective than a resolution, which means I feel like the chance for failure is less. If I resolve to lose 50 pounds in 2010, what happens if I hit the end of the year and have only lost 20? I’m going to feel bad about myself, even if I know that I worked hard to lose that 20 pounds. So I’m going to make “this my year to” rather than making resolutions.

This is my year to:

Take control of my weight and health

Learn to feel good about myself the way I am

Indulge every once in a while without feeling guilty

Waste less time

Worry less

I hope at the end of the year I’ll be able to look back and say that I’ve accomplished these things, at least on some level. Anyone else out there want to share what their “This is my year” goals are for 2010?

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With shows like NBC’s “The Biggest Loser” and VH1’s “Celebrity Fit Club” showcasing fat folks losing massive amounts of weight at lightning speed, it’s tempting to think shedding pounds should be a quick and easy process.
 

Former “Biggest Loser” contestant Ryan C. Benson made headlines in late November by revealing that he has gained back nearly all of the 122 pounds he lost while on the show, putting him back in the 300-lb. range. He contends that he used dangerous methods to lose weight at a rapid pace during the show, including intentionally dehydrating himself and skipping meals. Obviously weight loss can be quick, but given the medical problems you can cause yourself by going on crazy diets, it almost assuredly will not be worth it.

 Losing only a couple of pounds per week, especially when you have a sizeable amount of weight to lose, can be frustrating, but one to two pounds per week is the amount recommended by the Mayo Clinic. Losing at this rate ensures that, once you have reached your goal weight, you have a good chance of maintaining that weight rather than gaining it all back.

 
As a trucker trying to lose weight, you face more difficulties than the average “loser”: You are on the road a lot, often have to eat whatever is available quickly, rarely have access to exercise equipment and work at a job that primarily involves just sitting and driving. But with ever-tightening FMCSA regulations on BMI and health conditions that are possibly connected to weight, it’s better to face these challenges now rather than when you are looking at losing your CDL.

 
That’s where we come in. Truckers News wants to see our readers succeed in becoming healthier, and we want to provide tools for you to do it. January marks the kick-off of our Take a Load Off weight-loss campaign. We also are launching Fit4theRoad.com, which will be a comprehensive, interactive website with information on health and weight loss, videos and other resources. You can visit the Fit for the Road site to sign up to Take a Load Off and get updates.

 We will also provide opportunities for you to share your stories with us. We want to hear about your successes and your struggles, what works for you and what doesn’t. We plan to keep a running total of the amount of weight our readers lose during 2010 and post a grand total at the end of the year. And we’ll be offering some special events for Take a Load Off participants, so keep reading.

 
Here’s hoping for a healthier 2010. Good luck.

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